Michael (Apocalypse World)

Because me and my brother -- my Lucifer -- when we fought in my world, we thought that God would come back, give us answers -- why He'd gone, what we'd done -- but, instead, do you know what happened? Nothing. No God. Nothing. And now now that I'm in here -- now I know why. God -- Chuck -- is a writer, and like all writers, He churns out draft after draft. My world? This world? Nothing but failed drafts. And when He realizes that they're flawed, He moves on and tries again. – Michael, 14.10 Nihilism

History

With the Apocalypse having gone forward, Michael emerged as victor, having killed Lucifer at some point in the past over Abilene. Having conquered the Earth, Michael has not brought paradise to the world, but continued to fight various battles and wars against humans and demons, ravaging the planet and turning it into a post-Apocalyptic wasteland.

Characteristics

Possessing an unknown man, Michael appears in a dark trench coat. Lucifer calls him stronger than the Michael of the main universe and he easily defeats Lucifer in a fight. After his vessel is damaged by Jack's power, Michael declares himself unable to beat Lucifer again. In the body of Dean, Michael is stated to be stronger than he has ever been.

After gaining consent, Michael initially lent Dean access to several of his powers to fight Lucifer, particularly his teleportation, strength, and flight capabilities. After Lucifer's death Michael takes full control of Dean's body. He also changes Dean's attire from plaid to a 1920s-style suit and cap.

Powers and abilities

• Clairsentience - He could sense that Lucifer was from another world, as well as the different energy flowing from Dark Kaia and her spear.
• Flight - Unlike previous angels, Michael has shown the ability of flight and levitation.
• Mind control - Michael has the ability to control his enhanced monsters, compelling them to commit acts of violence, even against their wills.
• Mind hacking - Michael was able to "hitch a ride" on Lucifer's temporal lobe, allowing him to see his universe as well as compel Lucifer to talk about it and its creation.
• Mind reading - While trying to find what the beings of Earth want, Michael reads the mind of a Muslim man, Jamil Hamed.
• Super strength - He has strength above that of Lucifer, claiming to have ripped his Lucifer to pieces above Abilene, Kansas.
• Teleportation - Coming from Apocalypse World, Michael is the only angel in our world still capable of teleporting.
• Telekinesis - He can move objects and people with thoughts alone.

Weaknesses

• Archangel blade - In the hands of another archangel, the blade is capable of killing Michael.
• Kaia's Spear - The energy radiating from Dark Kaia's spear is powerful enough to injure Michael.
• Nephilim

Episodes

13.02 The Rising Son

After Lucifer kills a squad of angels, Michael arrives, crashing to the earth like a comet. Exiting the crater, he's surprised to find Lucifer, whom Michael has killed in this world. As the two exchange words, Michael insinuates he wants to fight, and is quickly sucker punched by Lucifer. Michael is able to overpower Lucifer, taking his arm and twisting it back until it is about to break off. When Lucifer asks if Michael is going to kill him, Michael tells him he may have use for him.

Michael torturing Lucifer.

13.07 War of the Worlds

While torturing Lucifer in a dilapidated church, Michael hitches a ride on Lucifer's temporal lobe, allowing Michael to gain a glimpse of Lucifer's world. Calling it a paradise, he tells Lucifer he plans to take up residence there, and lend his guiding hand. While Lucifer mocks him, Michael reveals that he knows what Lucifer fears most -- being locked up -- telling him when he is done, he will leave Lucifer locked up in agony forever. When Lucifer insults him, Michael simply drives a metal spike into Lucifer and walks away as Lucifer screams.

Giving Lucifer a respite from his torture, Michael has his angels take him down. Michael calls him pathetic, that he thought himself a god once and is now just a shell. Lucifer corrects Michael -- he never thought himself God or a god, but he is everything that humans think he is and more. In return he calls Michael the king of a dead rock. Michael retorts that he won't be so for long, because he plans on trading up, revealing that alternate universes are nothing new, and that he and his angels have been looking into the possibilities. He brings in his prophet, Kevin Tran, who says he has assembled all the elements needed to open a rift except the key ingredient, archangel grace. Unwilling to donate his, Michael pulls out his blade and slices Lucifer's throat to siphon off most of his grace, handing it to Kevin to begin the spell.

Michael returns to the church when Kevin is ready. While the spell works and opens a new rift, in the ensuing shockwave, Lucifer is able to break free and make his escape through the portal, which closes up behind him. Incensed, Michael orders Kevin to "fix" it.

13.14 Good Intentions

Unimpressed with Zachariah's lack of progress, Michael questions if the "half-breed" is necessary. Zachariah assures Michael that Jack is the key to open a portal large enough to march an army through. But when Zachariah's methods of mental manipulation prove fruitless, Michael decides to take matters into his own hands and knocks Jack and Zachariah away and drags the unconscious Jack to Mary's cell.

After finding that Jack and Mary have escaped, Michael orders Zachariah to find them and to kill Mary, slowly, in front of Jack. He warns Zachariah not to fail him again before sending him off.

13.20 Unfinished Business

Learning that Michael has abandoned his fortress, Mary, Jack, and a handful of resistance fighters arrive at the church to search for intel. They find Kevin Tran locked in the dungeon and learn from him that Michael has moved his forces south to a place where the walls are thin between worlds, in an attempt to use the angel tablet to open a rift.

Michael appears to confront Lucifer and Gabriel.

As Jack prepares to leave to finally confront and kill Michael, Kevin reveals his betrayal, telling Mary and Jack that Michael wanted Kevin to deliver a message by killing everyone around Jack. He says Michael wanted to pass along the words, "Even if you win, you still lose," then kills himself and the resistance fighters in a magical explosion.

13.22 Exodus

As the Apocalypse World refugees make their way through the rift to safety, Michael dive bombs into the area, killing three resistance fighters. Emerging from the crater with his wings spread, he greets everyone and asks if Lucifer wants to try and fight him again. Lucifer agrees and the two exchange blasts of energy, but Michael is able to overpower Lucifer. As Lucifer lays prone on the ground, Michael notices Gabriel and is surprised to see him. As Gabriel approaches him, Michael produces an archangel blade from his sleeve and the two begin fighting each other with their blades. Blows are exchanged, until Michael is able to deflect an attack by Gabriel and stab him with his blade, killing him. As he slowly sets Gabriel's body on the ground, Sam Winchester makes his escape through the rift, leaving Lucifer behind as it closes, angering Michael.

Stuck together, Lucifer makes a deal with Michael to show him how the Winchesters performed the spell to open the rift. In exchange, Lucifer will get his son, and Michael will get everything else.

Michael's vessel is severely weakened after his confrontation with Jack.

13.23 Let the Good Times Roll

After Sam and Dean talk Jack down from killing an innocent gas station employee, Jack storms out of the store and the ground begins to shake followed by a high pitched piercing noise, signaling the arrival of an angel. Suddenly, Michael appears before Sam, Dean, and Castiel, forcing them to flee. As they reach the outside, Michael blows out the windows of the gas station convenience store, taunting Castiel to attack him. Unbeknownst to Michael, though, Dean has grabbed a container of holy oil from the trunk of the Impala and created a Molotov, which he throws it at Michael, creating a barrier between them and allowing them to escape.

Michael soon catches up to the Winchesters and arrives at the Bunker. He floats down as Sam and Dean begin shooting him in a futile gesture. Castiel attempts to attack him, but Michael easily swats him away. Throwing Sam aside, Michael grabs ahold of Dean, and begins choking him, telling Dean that he plans to purge his world of sin; he admits his past mistakes but believes the second time is the charm, and declares that Dean will be the first soul he saves. As he is attempting to kill Dean, Sam sends a prayer out to Jack, who hears it and soon arrives at the Bunker and severely injures and weakens Michael. The archangel calls out to Lucifer for help, reminding him of their deal, which causes Jack to stop and question his father. After Lucifer reveals his true nature to Jack and steals his grace, Castiel asks Michael how they can stop Lucifer. Michael tells him that they can't -- after consuming the grace of a Nephilim, Lucifer's strength is super charged and he is capable of ending the universe if he so pleases. When Dean tells Michael he beat Lucifer before, Michael reminds him that Lucifer was weaker and his "meatsuit" was stronger. Realizing they are out of options Dean offers to be his "sword", allowing Michael to take possession of him under the condition it is a one-time deal and he stays in control while they fight Lucifer.

Dean shows off Michael's wings.

As Lucifer is waiting for Jack to kill himself, he is interrupted by the arrival of Dean, who glows with an angelic light as he bares Michael's wings. Dean indicates to Sam that he is in control by greeting him with a "hiya Sammy" and he tells Lucifer that he and Michael found something in common: they both want to "gut" Lucifer. As the two begin fighting, Lucifer gains the upper hand, and attempts to smite Dean and Michael. He is thwarted when Sam throws Dean the archangel blade, allowing Dean to stab Lucifer in the heart and kill him once and for all. The celebration of Lucifer's death is cut short, however, as Michael reneges on their deal and takes control of Dean's body, thanking him for the "suit" as he teleports away.

Dressed in a dapper new outfit, Michael walks down a city street taking in his new world.

14.01 Stranger in a Strange Land

Michael has spent the three weeks since possessing Dean Winchester travelling around the world asking all sorts of people -- holy men, leaders, killers -- what it is they want. He appears before a Muslim man, Jamil Hamed, in the middle of his morning prayer. Michael quotes the Quran in Arabic to Jamil, who initially believes to be God and then Gabriel, before Michael corrects him on his identity. Like the others before Jamil, Michael asks him what he wants. When Jamil tells him he wants peace and love, Michael refutes his claim, reminding Jamil how he abandoned his friends to die in a war zone and cheated on his wife. He tells Jamil he is not worth saving after he telekinetically throws him across the room. When Jamil asks Michael what he wants, Michael tells him, "What I have always wanted... a better world."

Sister Jo realizes she is speaking to the archangel Michael when she sees his energy flowing around Dean Winchester.

Michael next confronts Sister Jo in a dark alley. Initially unsure of who he is, she is quickly terrified to see that it is Michael. Questioning why Dean would agree to be his vessel, Michael responds to her that Dean did it out of "love". As Jo attempts to leave, Michael stops her and asks her what it is that she wants. Unhappy with Jo's materialistic response, he reveals to her that he knows a lot about her, because Dean knows about her. He tells her she is looking for love and a family, and he is disappointed in her for having such human wants. He says he knows of the limited number of angels in the world, and was hoping to help, but thinks that if they are all as lost and fallen as Jo is, the angels may not be worth saving either.

Having been disappointed by his conversations with humans, demons, and angels alike, Michael stands before a young man telling him he is worth saving because his wants are simple and pure -- wanting only to eat. He tells him that they are going to work well together as the young man's vampire fangs descend.

14.02 Gods and Monsters

In an abandoned church, Michael drains blood from the throat of a vampire into a chalice, then mixes a little bit of his grace with the vampiric blood and forces the vampire to drink it, causing the man to burn out from the inside. Disappointed at his failure, he drags the man's body and lays it on top of a pile of corpses before turning his attention to three other vampires chained up asking, "who's next?"

In a hotel room Michael is dressing himself in a tuxedo. While looking in a mirror, Dean takes over the reflection and attempts to eject Michael from his body, which does not work due to how powerful Michael is. Michael later returns to his hotel room with a woman, Melanie. As they flirt, Melanie quickly reveals she is a werewolf, but Michael is able to subdue her, revealing he knew what she was and chose her for a reason, then he tells her to call her "master."

In the morning, Michael sits down with Philippe over drinks, and makes a proposal. Admiring the simplicity of the werewolves' wants, Michael offers to enhance their "talents" to help remove humans from the top of the food chain. While Philippe believes Michael's plan is the world he wants to live in, he calls it an absurd dream. Michael counters by offering to turn his pack from the hunted into the hunter.

After being spared her life, Lydia Crawford is packing a bag when Michael appears in her kitchen. He tells Lydia that he let her escape from him to be bait for the hunters. With his trap now sprung, he no longer needs his "bait," and he goes on to smite Lydia.

Michael is scarred by Dark Kaia's spear.

14.03 The Scar

Dark Kaia describes her encounter with Michael to Sam, Dean, and Jody. She relates how he appeared to her in the woods, telling her that he sensed her energy and the energy coming from her spear. Michael makes her an offer: she can join his ranks and give him her spear, or she can fight and probably die while he just takes the spear. Kaia chooses to attack Michael, who easily blocks each strike Kaia makes until she is able to catch him by surprise with a leg sweep. With Michael on the ground, Kaia takes her spear and pierces him in the arm, causing great pain to the archangel, scarring him and Dean.

14.05 Nightmare Logic

The djinn Neil reveals to Dean that Michael has made deals with monsters -- in return for his "upgrades," they are to find somewhere quiet, set up shop, and kill as many hunters as possible. He also tells Dean that Michael has made dozens of enhanced monsters who have set up traps to kill hunters.

14.09 The Spear

Michael, in a new female vessel, has some of his monsters clear out the Hitomi Plaza office building in Kansas City, Missouri, to serve as the base of operations for his upcoming plan to turn everyone in the city into a monster for his army. He meets with two new volunteers to take his enhancement: two werewolves, one of whom he recognizes as a friend of the Winchesters, Garth. Garth assures Michael that with his family to worry about, all he cares about is protecting them.

Once Michael witnesses Garth consuming the blood and grace mixture, Michael turns his attention to Melanie, and after learning of Dark Kaia's location, orders her to send out troops to destroy the Spear. After learning of Jack and Sam's location, Michael and some of his troops ambush the two. As Jack is dragged away, Michael confronts Sam while holding the Hyperbolic Pulse Generator, easily melting it in his hands in front of Sam before knocking him out.

Dean faces off against Michael.

Back at Hitomi Plaza, Michael explains to Jack that in his weakened state he isn't worth killing, and that when his power finally returns to him he will be the only other being that can come close to understanding him and his power, and that eventually it will all fade away from him too.

After Jack's escape, Michael waits in his office as night falls, until he begins sensing Castiel's presence. He quickly finds Castiel in the hallways, and proceeds to beat him to a bloody pulp. He drags his limp body back into his office, where Sam and Jack lay in wait. Michael, sensing their presence, stops them from attacking, causing them debilitating pain and forcing them to the ground. With the Spear in hand Dean attacks Michael, who dodges his strikes and knocks Dean to the ground. As Michael is about to show Dean his mistake, Sam slides the spear to him, allowing Dean to cut Michael's arm. As Dean advances on Michael, he comes to a sudden stop, unable to strike Michael down. As Michael continues staring at Dean, Dean's vision becomes blurry and he begins seeing visions of his time as Michael before Michael's female vessel collapses to the floor. Dean snaps the Spear in two, revealing himself as possessed by Michael once more.

Michael explains how he needed to break Dean, in order to keep him suppressed for good in his mind. He tells them that Dean is "gone" and his army ready for his command as he snaps his fingers.

See also

• Michael